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Third-party politics not suited to T&T

The following is an unsolicited, unpaid comment from an interested onlooker.

I am often scoffed at for believing strongly in our two-party political system. The Afro-based People’s National Movement (PNM) and the Indo-based United National Congress (UNC) are us. We are the people and we are moving away from racial/cultural/social stereotyping. Both parties are now being more clearly integrated and all other ethnicities have been subsumed. The party that secures the ‘fence sitters’ will see victory in 2020. The secret is in the appeal to fair play, political talent, and measurable advancement for supporters. The image in 2010 of seemingly attracting sufficient citizens of all ethnicities scored the UNC a resounding political victory. Then, everything turned old mas when the spectre of naked, rampant nepotism took over the UNC. It inevitably crashed and burned in 2015.

So, what of the Congress of the People? What about Timothy Hamel-Smith’s foray into third-party politics? We now have the Movement for Social Justice (David Abdulah) vying for serious recognition. These three entities flatter to deceive. Not any of them represent a large enough interest to the man in the street. The trade unions have only enough members to cause serious continuing disruption that leads to severely diminishing appeal for lucrative investments. The struggle to control all wage agreements is myopic, selfish, and sick. First-world labour movements pride themselves in giving value for money, our collective trade unions are sorely lacking.

There is an obscene degree of political sanctimonious hypocrisy being expounded denigrating individual ministers/ senators who are talented and of importance to the life blood of their political parties. Pot cannot call the kettle black when senators who have outstanding legal matters represent their party in several forums are not being removed. Only charges of alleged sexual harassment and murder should prevent representation until one is proven not guilty of other offences.

We the people have no time to argue over who has the most offensive political cocoa in the sun.

The general election of 2020 is being eagerly awaited in T&T, where image is everything and the winner takes all.